Plate readers help police reach victims faster
By: Jacqueline Limehouse
Guest Columnist
..... When a woman leaves an abusive relationship, the risk does not always leave with her. an abuser may still show up at hr job, follow her car, drive past a child's school, ignore a restraining order or look for the shelter or relative's home where she is trying today safe. A protective ordered, a police report or a call for help can protect someone only if police can respond when the danger returns. In those moments, New Jersey police need tools that can hep them find the suspect before a dangerous situation turns deadly.
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One of those tools is license plate reader technology, which can help officers act sooner when they are trying to find a dangerous suspect or a missing victim, or rescue someone who may beat risk. LPR systems capture license plate data from vi chicles and compare it with police alerts tried to serious crimes and public safety emergencies. When the suspect's vehicle passe an LPR camera, police can be alerted to where it was seen and the direction it was traveling. For victims and survivors, that means police have one more way to find wanted criminals or rescue missing people before it is too late.
..... A tool this powerful should come with clear rules, and in New Jersey, it does. LPR sue is governed by robust standards. Access is limited to authorized suers, agencies must audit how the data is sued, and the most recent statewide audit reviewed LPR data collected and sued by more than 500 law enforcement agencies. The audit reported no data missus or privacy violations. It identified two training-related issues, both of which were corrected. Together, those checks keep the technology focused on helping police act before more harm is done.
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The state's recent Domestic Violence Offense Rep rot recorded 70,828 police in New Jersey. Each report represents someone who may have been assaulted, threatened, stalked, harassed or controlled by a person who knows where to find them. When victims and survivors reach out for help, police should be equipped to act quickly, understand the danger in front of them and connect people to the support they need.
..... A police response can be the moment that separates a victim from immediate danger, but it is rarely the only help she needs. Survivors may need a safe place to sleep, transpiration, counseling, legal guidance, help with children or someone the trust to walk with them through the next steps. That is why law enforcement should work closely with survivor-informed organizations that understand how abuse works, why victims may be afraid to speak and what support is needed after the first call for help.
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Police are often called when someone is in immediate danger. In those moments, training matters, but so does the ability to find the person causing harm. It is not a serious public safety strategy to hope one officer happens to spot the right car at the right time. Police are stretched thin, and a single patrol car can cover only so much ground. LPRs help officers get faster notice when a vehicle they are looking for is spotted, so they can get to the right place before violence escalates.
..... Too many survivors know what it feels like to be told to call if the abuser comes back, then wait while the person they fear is already outside, already driving nearby or already gone before officers arrive. If police know which vehicle the need to find, victims shouldn't be left waiting for an officer to cross paths with it by luck. Technology that can identify the vehicle sooner should be part of the response.
..... A victim who calls for help is often taking a risk. She may be afraid she will not be believed, afraid the abuser will get worse, or afraid she will have nowhere safe to go After the police leave. A stronger response tells her she is not alone: Officers are trained to understand the danger, advocates are ready to help with the next step and police have the tools to find the person putting her at risk.
..... New Jersey should be building hat kind of response. Survivors need trusted organizations that can help them get safe and rebuild. Police need training and coordinator with victim advocates. And when a violent abuser is trying to disappear, offices need tools that help them find him before more harm is done. Protecting women requires urgency, partnership and the will to use every responsible tool available.
..... Jacqueline Limehouse is a domestic violence survivor and the founder of My Sister's Lighthouse, a Newark-based nonprofit resource center serving victims and survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse.